The invention is concerned with a device for protecting the gas cylinder valves of steel cylinders which are equipped with a threaded neck ring screwing on the protective device.
Since decades, one has used a bell shaped protective cap for the protection of gas valves of steel cylinders which is screwed onto the neck ring and which completely shields the valve from the environment. The neck ring itself is secured in the opening of the steel cylinder. The gas cylinder valve is screwed into it. These bell shaped protective caps, while they provide complete protection for the gas cylinder valve, in practice, they have a number of disadvantages, especially during the discharge of gas. One of the most important disadvantages of the protective cap consists therein that, in the case of a corroded neck thread, it no longer provides any protection but can even represent a source of danger. It occurs repeatedly with corroded neck threads, especially during manual transport, that the protective caps slip off and accidents are caused as a result. A further disadvantage of the protective caps consists therein that they must be removed for the discharge of gas. As a result, the gas cylinder valve is not protected during the discharge. Aside from this, the removed protective caps are often lost, especially on construction sites. To replace them then becomes expensive. Above all, on construction sites, the protective caps pose the danger that they are often unscrewed with tools that are not designed for such a purpose.